Food Truck Festival back in Worcester - for last time?

Thursday

Jun 18, 2015 at 5:01 AM

It was not so long ago that food trucks were on the fringes of the culinary experience, more of a novelty than a standing tradition. That would soon change as the quality and variety of food trucks exploded throughout the country. Now Worcester will get its chance to sample some of the best that New England has to offer, with the Fourth Annual Worcester Food Truck Festival coming to Elm Park Saturday, June 20.

It may be the festival’s final visit to Worcester.

The festival is being organized by Food Truck Festivals of New England, which started back in 2011, as founder Anne-Marie Aigner saw the initial spark behind the food truck buzz that was about to spill over into the national consciousness. Working for a marketing agency, she was tasked with creating a particularly interesting event. She noticed the high-trending patterns of food trucks in Los Angeles beginning to tear east, through places such as Austin and Chicago. For the first food truck festival, Aigner could only find eight trucks in the area. Still, thousands of people showed up. She knew she was on to something.

“I think the overall appeal is that the food is really good,” said Aigner. “It’s quick, you don’t need a reservation and it’s good. If the food is good, people will come back.”

The food may be good and that is certainly part of the appeal, but it is also a form of interactive dining, particular in a festival environment. There is something appealing about spending time in Elm Park, choosing from varieties of food many aren’t even aware exist.

One food truck that fits the “unique” tag to a tee is the Uyghur Kitchen. Owned and operated by Pie Payzulla, the Uyghur Kitchen features, you guessed it, Uyghur (pronounced wee-gur) food. The Uyghurs are a Turkic people that have existed since before Ghengis Khan. There are very few Uyghur restaurants in the country and even fewer (presumably zero) other Uyghur food trucks.

“The food truck is wonderful,” said Payzulla. “For me, I’m really fortunate. With the food truck, we can go state to state. A lot of people don’t know us, but with this, they get to know us and know our culture. We offer different food and people love trying new stuff.”

While the food trucks involved in the fest (24 trucks are expected to take part) cover almost any variety of food imaginable and include trucks such as Cookie Monstah, Dining Car, Frozen Hoagies, Chicken and Rice Guys, Batch Ice Cream, Ipswich Clambake, Papi’s Stuffed Papadillas, Roxy’s Grilled Cheese and The Happy Taco, there is one truck Worcester residents should easily recognize: The Dogfather hot dog truck.

“The thing about it is, somebody from Worcester has got to be there,” explained Mark Gallant, owner and operator of The Dogfather. “These other trucks come in and there’s no Worcester food trucks in there, so I knew I had to be. I used to think, ‘Why would someone want to see me at a thing like this when I’m here in the city throughout the week?’ They still come and wait in line, I can’t figure it out.”

The issue with having so many food trucks in one area? Figuring out what to eat.

“It’s a day to forget the diet,” said Aigner. “We recommend leaving it at home and coming hungry and thirsty. Come early, these have become extremely popular. We’re very excited because Worcester has always been extremely responsive. The food is really good. It’s really unique, it’s creative. It’s really creative food and for the most part the truck owners are former chefs who have decided they wanted their own thing. It’s a grazing opportunity. We think this is today’s answer to wanting to try a bunch of creative cuisines in one day.”

And this may be the last chance to enjoy the Food Truck Festival in Worcester, as permitting costs have continued to rise, making a 2016 return unlikely.

“The city of Worcester has tried to help, but it has gotten too expensive for us,” explained Aigner. “This is a business, so we have to be careful about that.”

Head to Elm Park Saturday, June 20, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the Fourth Annual Worcester Food Truck Festival. Buying tickets in advance is strongly encouraged by visiting Eventbrite.com.

You can find out more information on the Food Truck Festivals of New England online at Foodtruckfestivalsofne. com. Also visit the Dogfather online at Thedogfathertruck.com and the Uyghur Kitchen at Uyghurkitchen.com

Reporter Joshua Lyford can be reached at 508-749-3166, ext. 325, or by email at Jlyford@worcestermagazine.com. Follow Josh on Twitter @Joshachusetts.